The Billionaire Rivalry Reaches Space Level: Amazon Launches First 27 Internet Satellites, Competing with Starlink

As part of the Kuiper project, Jeff Bezos’ company Amazon has launched more than twenty satellites into low Earth orbit. They were sent into space aboard an Atlas V rocket by United Launch Alliance from the Space Force base at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The project is valued at $10 billion.

Over the course of a year, Amazon will launch more than three thousand additional satellites into orbit. However, this is far from a record number. Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink network already has over seven thousand similar satellites in space. On Earth, the company is already serving more than four and a half million customers worldwide. “Kuiper has a long way to go to catch up and serve a significant portion of the market,” said Craig Moffett, senior managing director at research firm MoffettNathanson, in an interview with CNN.

Although Kuiper is a direct competitor to Starlink, both projects are aimed at transforming global internet infrastructure, specifically expanding broadband access and thereby providing connectivity to the most remote corners of the planet. By the end of this year, Amazon plans to create a full network for providing broadband internet. This, in turn, implies constant connectivity and virtually unlimited possibilities for using the “World Wide Web.” Amazon’s satellites will be located at an altitude of about 450 kilometers.

The Kuiper project was conceived back in 2019, but the active launch of satellites was delayed for several years. In 2023, two internet satellite prototypes were launched, and their tests were successful. Amazon representatives state that additional space missions may take place this year to begin serving more regions. It was also reported that the Taiwanese government is in talks with Amazon about using their satellites to ensure continuous internet access for the island nation.